Republican talk...

Tom Westfall

Guest columnist

Posted:
03/07/2014 10:39:12 AM MST

Tom Westfall Guest columnist

Talk about a mixed bag... That's what this past couple of weeks has dropped on the Colorado political landscape. First off, in what can only be described as a brilliant political move, Congressional Representative Cory Gardner will forgo a relatively easy re-election campaign in a "red" district and try to unseat Sen. Mark Udall for the U.S. Senate. Although nothing is certain, I think there's a very good chance that Cory will prevail and one "our own" will be in the U.S. Senate. I have to say, thinking back to the days when Cory was my second baseman on our D & S Pharmacy Little League Team in Yuma, I was certain even then, that he was destined for greatness. (Okay, I didn't really think that; I suspect it would be nearly impossible to imagine any 10 or 11 year old boy as a Senator, but it makes a good story, and if Cory were to ever end up in the White House as President, I could say that "I knew him when!")

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I will say that Cory has always been a stand-up person, with terrific personal values, an excellent work ethic, good common sense, and a desire to make a difference. I don't always agree with him politically (I'm sure that keeps him awake at night...NOT!) but I also believe that he is open and honest and above the fray, when it comes to being swallowed up by the political machinery that is part and parcel modern day Washington D.C. One of the things that I've noted about Rep. Gardner is that is an excellent speaker. He has a "persona" about him that is inviting and he seems to generate excitement and enthusiasm in a crowd. He isn't all rhetoric either as his rural upbringing has grounded him in the reality that his job is to try and make life better for those he represents. Cory is a strong proponent of personal freedom, but he also understands that freedom necessarily begets personal responsibility; one cannot exist without the other.

It will be a fascinating campaign, and if the original reaction to Gardner's announcement by the head of the state Democratic Party is any indication, this political fight will be anything but genteel. I suspect that special interest dollars will flow into Colorado in a manner that will pale last fall's South Platte flood. Be prepared to use your DVR a lot unless you enjoy the incessant noise of political advertising.

So if that's the good news, the bad news is that the Republican Party just keeps trotting out proven losers in the Governor's race. This past week, "Both ways Bob" Beauprez announced that he is entering the fray. I don't get it. Greg Brophy has proven himself to be an excellent candidate. If you took the time to listen in on the Republican debates, you know that he was clearly the winner; an articulate and thoughtful man with a clear understanding of what Colorado needs. Beauprez joins fellow loser Tom Tancredo and Scott Gessler as Brophy's primary opponents, and apparently the "Republican powers that be" don't think Brophy can win so they just keep soliciting retreads; candidates who, for the most part, have already proven they can't win the gubernatorial race.

Although Sen. Brophy is considered one of the more conservative members of the Senate, he is not a "cookie-cutter" Republican. He's already visited all 64 counties, and those that have heard him speak have been impressed and uplifted. He is a thoughtful, hard-working, independent thinker, who is incredibly principled and who believes that the American dream should be "striving fulfilled," and not just for folks who were born here. Just this past year, Senator Brophy was one of only three Republicans who crossed party lines and voted in favor of the Colorado Asset Bill which proposed to allow in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. Said Brophy, "This is a country where you're supposed to be able to pursue happiness and I want the GOP to be the Grand Opportunity Party." He explained that his thinking on the issue of in-state tuition has evolved as he's met more young Hispanic students who would be impacted by the law. "There are some pretty great kids out there who can benefit from the passage of a bill like this," Brophy said. "We're supposed to tell these kids to just go home? They are home."

Unless things change quickly, however, it is highly likely that the Republican candidates will use an inordinate amount of energy beating each other up in the primaries, and that by the time the dust settles, "Smilin' John" Hickenlooper will eke out another four years as our Governor. The Republican Party should ask the proven losers in the race to gracefully bow out, and should rally around a proven winner, Greg Brophy. A united party would make for an interesting race this fall.

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